Character Analysis In Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbir

“‘You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-’” (Lee, 30). In To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, Atticus Finch is the father of Jem and Scout who are all citizens of Maycomb County, Alabama. Throughout the novel, Atticus teaches his children many life lessons. These lessons open up readers to see what it’s like in Atticus’ shoes, to acquire his personality.

Atticus plays a huge role in why certain outcomes come from certain instances and why the family handles them in the ways they do.

Atticus holds true to his traits in all events. Being even-keeled and persistent are two bold traits that really define Atticus Finch throughout the novel and all events. Atticus Finch picks up the case of Tom Robinson, a black man, accused of allegedly raping a white woman. Atticus makes commitments to Tom Robinson, for example, and he stays persistent through all of them.

From the beginning, Atticus is set on defending this man.

One day while Scout asks Atticus what the outcome of the trial might be, Atticus simply states that he will not win this one. Scout then asks Atticus that if he knows he’s not going to win, then why is he even trying? “‘Simply because we were licked a hundred years before … is no reason for us not to try to win,’ Atticus said” (Lee, 76). Being that the Finch family lived in the South one may conclude that a hundred years back, Alabama was part of the seceding states of the Civil War.

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Since the end of that war, blacks have never won in society. This is what Atticus means when he says they were licked a hundred years before they had even started on this trial. The persistence from this quote is just the beginning of Atticus’s many continuous and firm thoughts during the difficult times of this case. Word gets out about Atticus’ continual thinking of Tom Robinson being innocent. With this, people try showing their disapproval in many ways. A group of men came to the Maycomb County jail one night and were only out for one thing, to murder Tom Robinson. When they approached the jail they found Atticus sitting in his chair reading a newspaper. Showing with no negotiations that he would accept the men’s behavior Atticus continued to protect Tom.

The men venture away and when the day of the trial comes Atticus is still stuck on Tom’s innocence. So much so that he adds, “‘The defendant is not guilty, but somebody in this courtroom is’” (Lee, 203), during his summation speech. On top of being persistent Atticus is also very even-keeled. Someone who is even-keeled is one that is always ensuring smooth sailing. Throughout the novel, Atticus’s words are used with an exclamation mark from Harper Lee only one or twice. Atticus rarely ever saw the bad in situations.

For example, when a rabid dog was spotted in Maycomb County, the sheriff asked Atticus to shoot the dog. Scout has never seen her father touch a gun and she describes the scene from her point of view. “With movements so swift they seemed simultaneous, Atticus’s hand yanked a ball-tipped lever as he brought the gun to his shoulder” (Lee, 96). Atticus kills the dog with one shot as he assured Scout, Jem, and Sheriff Heck Tate of smooth sailing with his actions. Referring back to the trial, Atticus had an encounter with Bob Ewell. While in court Atticus had shredded every bit of Bob Ewell’s credibility and Bob was not willing to let Atticus think he was higher than him. While Atticus walked to town one day he had an encounter with Bob.

Bob Ewell being the man that he is, spits in Atticus’s face to show his signs of disapproval. Word had spread about this incident around town and later in the evening Scout explains to her father that she is worried about what Bob may do next. “‘We don’t have anything to fear from Bob Ewell, he got it all out of his system that morning’” (Lee, 218) Atticus told his daughter. By Atticus saying this instead of being mad towards Bob had just reassured Scout of smooth sailing once again. Atticus is defined by being even-keeled and persistent throughout the novel.

Many of Atticus’s traits are shown as being stuck out during the different circumstances that the Finch family finds themselves in. Miss Maudie, Atticus’s neighbor, describes Atticus as being “‘…the same in his house as he is on the public streets’” (Lee, 46) showing that his personality stays continuous. As a father, neighbor, brother, and lawyer Atticus is one who continues his beliefs and thoughts of smooth sailing with strong, never-ending commitment.